This is what REAL democracy looks like

YES YES YESYES WE CAN – SÍ SE PUEDE

#12M, Sunday the 12th of May was the big day for a week of actions and demonstrations in Spain to mark the two year anniversary of #15M, the 15th of May 2011, when the indignados (indignant ones) movement exploded in Spain with the occupations of public squares all over the country.

Yesterday in Barcelona, there was a massive turnout of people in the streets. Columns in different sectors of the city formed and marched into the cities indignado heart, Placa Catalunya, and from there a march started at 6pm. After a few hours many thousands had marched up to Universitat, along the Grand Via to Placa Tetuan and from there down Passeig San Joan, finishing at the Arch of Triumph.

From there some groups broke up and did their own thing, the highlight of which was the “liberating” of a derelict building by those green tee shirt heroes PAH (Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca = Mortgage Victims’ Platform) and their supporters. The building has become the new home for families recently evicted by the banks. Some say demonstrations dont achieve enough, some say direct action is the only way to bring about the change we desire.

In Spain, since the crisis began 5 years ago there has been nearly half a million forced evictions, of people who cant keep up the payments of their mortgages due to the severity of the crisis cuts and the highest unemployment rate in the developed world, now at 27% (57% for the youth of spain). The banks take peoples houses and the people are simply thrown into the street. This is not something unique to Spain, but here the difference is that once the bank take your asset, you still have to pay. For many this is an impossible situation, for some the only thing left to do is the ultimate step of committing suicide, tragically we have seen copy cat suicides like where an old couple who spent their whole life trying to have a decent and dignified life ended their days by jumping from their balcony as the police were below trying to force open their homes to throw them to the street.

Yesterday was not the end but just another day of building up the society we want. We know what we want, we are becoming the change that we want to see in the world…

A few months back there was an excellent Manu Chao gig in L´hospitalet, Barcelona. Before the gig a few PAH members, including our friend Ceci from Peru, were invited to the stage and they outlined their cause. Manu donated a couple of thousand euros to help in their struggle…

May 15th marks two years from the demonstration which triggered the acampadas. A group of people, coming from different collectives, are meeting every two weeks, since February 23rd, in Parc de la Ciutadella to coordinate the different actions and activities that will take place from May 10th to 15th.

Right now the agreements they have reached are:

There is going to be a permanent assembly on Catalunya square from May 10th to May 12th. Several collectives and neighbourhood associations are going to have a stand there to share information.

Conferences on the problems Public Health cuts are bringing, on the huge scam the Debt is, on banksters… are going to take place on the 11th and 12th and universities are going to organise lectures on the street on the 14th.

On May 11th a big assembly will take place at the end of the day

On May 12th there is a call for a demonstration in most big cities in Spain. In Barcelona, it is going to start at 18h in Plaça Catalunya. Neighbourhood assemblies will march in big columns from their main squares. It will start with a theatre performance and several actions are expected during the demonstration and at the end of it. The slogan will be: “Let’s stop financial genocide, together we can!” (Aturem el genocidi financer, juntes podem).

The following three days, decentralized actions by the different collectives and neighbourhood assemblies are going to happen all over the city.

Finally, as through 2 years of actions make activists feel like a family, the 3 main spaces in the Square will be named after 3 dear fellow activists who died this last year. This will make them be once again with us all, fighting for a better society.